I Grew Something, and Then I Ate It!

My lettuce is growing!  That’s right.  I, the plant killer, have successfully grown something.  Not only that, but I grew enough of it for an actual meal.  If this was a video blog, I would post a clip of my happy dance.  But you’ll just have to use your imagination.

To celebrate our victory, we made salad for dinner.  The star of the dish was, of course, the 5 varieties of leaf and butter lettuce we grew.  Combined with some grapefruit and toasted nuts and chickpeas, it was a fresh, summery treat.  You can section fresh grapefruit if you have the time, but I was in the mood for something quick and easy, so I bought sectioned grapefruit (packed in its own juice) in the produce section.

Toasted Walnut and Grapefruit Salad with Roasted Chickpeas

Toasted Walnut & Grapefruit Salad

6-8 cups mixed leaf  and/or butter lettuces
1 26-oz jar unsweetened ruby red grapefruit sections (reserve the juice)
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 can chickpeas, roasted

Combine 1/4 cup grapefruit juice from the jar with the olive oil, honey, salt & pepper.  Whisk or shake in a jar until combined.  In a bowl gently toss the grapefruit sections with the lettuce.  To toast walnuts, bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 375˚.  For roasted chickpeas, see my recipe here.  Top lettuce and grapefruit mixture with toasted walnuts and chickpeas.  Drizzle with dressing and enjoy.

Roasted chickpeas. Great on the salad, or on the side. Or both!

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